Aerosol containers utilize various mechanisms to discharge and direct the product. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,026; 4,328,911; 4,068,782; 3,946,911; 3,888,392; 3,785,536; 3,236,421. These patents disclose cap assemblies with finger actuators which assemblies attach onto aerosol containers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,782 discloses an overcap for an aerosol container with a tilt valve comprising a wall having a lid with an opening. An actuator is positioned in the opening and connected to the wall at the rear of the overcap using a bending-type hinge. A bore located in the front end of the actuator and disposed at the center of the wall encloses the valve stem of the tilt valve. Depressing the actuator causes it to rotate forward about its hinge resulting in displacement of the bore. As a result, the tilt valve is displaced by the wall of the bore and actuated. The tip of the tilt valve stem is near the top of the actuator so that the product stream does not get trapped in the cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,026 also discloses an overcap comprising a closed wall with a lid having a actuator connected at the rear end of the wall using a bending-type hinge. A product flow hole is located in the actuator directly above the valve stem. Plural projection means extending from the bottom of the actuator form a surface for engaging the valve stem. As the actuator is depressed, it rotates forward about the hinge at the rear of the wall. The engaging surface contacts the valve stem, tilting it, resulting in product flow out of the valve stem and through the product flow hole in the actuator.
Prior overcaps have a complex design that is difficult and expensive to manufacture. Further, prior overcaps generally employ levers to actuate valves that, at one end, are hingedly mounted to the cap and, at the other end, are in contact with the valve. The actuating force from a finger is applied between the two ends such that the actuating force is applied at the same point as or nearer to the hinge than the valve force. Consequently, a mechanical advantage that could result from using the lever more efficiently is lost. In fact, in some overcaps, the force locations of the actuating force and the valve force along the lever create a mechanical disadvantage, by locating the finger pad closer to the hinge than the valve stem, thereby requiring increased force to actuate the valve than is necessary.